"Rat-Rat-Rat-Rat-Rat-Rat-Ratties!"
 

     The Ratties live behind the skirting board in the living room of a pink country
     cottage. And they're mad. Stark-raving, cross-eyed, bonkers. Tatty, Aunt Hatty,
     Uncle Matty, Baby Batty and The Fatty Brothers get up to all kinds of loopy
     mischief as they emulate the human owners of the cottage or enact their
     own preposterous fantasies and daydreams - like pretending they're cowboys,
     or circus stars, or attempting to fly, or lord-knows-what-else...

     Tatty would dearly like to be loved by humans, but he only ever seems to scare
     them. Aunt Hatty's a houseproud rat, forever washing and knitting everything and
     anything she can lay her hands on including the other Ratties. Baby Batty is a
     genius in a nappy, whilst The Fatty Brothers are geniuses at inventing stupid
     games and pranks, most of which are targeted at poor Uncle Matty although
     he barely has the sense to know it.

     "The Ratties" series was created by Mike Wallis and Laura Milligan, she being the
     daughter of the maddest March Hare there ever was or will be, Spike Milligan.
     What's more, Spike narrates the series and "sings" the title song with its
     incessant "Ratties" chant. Spike rattles off the narration at a breathless pace,
     often far ahead of the viewer . It's easy to miss some splendid asides and
     and additions.

     Two "Ratties" compilation videos The Great Escape and The Budgie were
     released in the late 80s, but these are long deleted now. Grandreams
     produced a 1989 Annual, and there was at least one tie-in book adapted by
     Alison Boyle. Carnival also published at least four tie-in storybooks.
     But just like those videos, these are tricky to track down...

     

     Mad as a rat

     Apparently brainy Baby Ratty can do the Times crossword in 7.85 seconds,
     whilst breakdancing and listening to his personal stereo. In the episode
     called Tatty's Day he ends up writing a television series for Spike Milligan (!)
     whilst practising a triple time step and reading "War and Peace" at the same
     time - clever chap!

     Aunt Hatty's washing line regularly has carrots, lp records, hammers, and
     nails pegged out to dry upon it. What's more, in the episode Circus Time
     Hatty ends up washing every piece of Baby Batty's 50,000 piece jigsaw
     puzzle...

     The Fatty Brothers are identical, but you can tell them apart because one
     brother likes to wear a medallion of cheese around his neck...

     In the episode Way Out West, the Ratties watch a wild western starring
     that Hollywood legend Skwint Westward...

     And who's this in the episode Jumping Beans? Why, it's none other
     than our narrator, Mr Milligan, silhouetted against the animation.
     He's wittering on about Harry Secombe... until a Fatty Brother clonks
     him off the screen!

       

 

     Episode titles

     Tatty's Day
     Circus Time
     Way Out West
     The Budgie
     The Great Escape
     Polo Time
     Picnic
     Pirates
     Spooky Time
     Jumping Beans
     
 

     created by Laura Milligan and Mike Wallis

     producer:       Mike Wallis
     director:         Mike Wallis
     writers:           Laura Milligan, Mike Wallis
     music:            James Harpen
     narration:       Spike Milligan

 

      On the web


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